FORMER world squash No.1 Peter Nicol has defended himself against the critics who continue to hark back to his decision to represent England, insisting the move did not signify any lack of patriotism towards the land of his birth.
Nicol caused controversy when he switched his allegiance in 2001, claiming that the governing body, Scottish Squash, had failed to provide adequate support to enable him to operate at the highest level.
During his 15-year career, he won a host of
titles around the globe, including four coveted Commonwealth Games gold medals – three of which he received to the strains of Rule Britannia.
However, Nicol is adamant that the move was a logical step and did not represent a snub to Scotland.
"I was fully expecting the comments at the time I made the decision and it's still going on now. I have always had a mixed reaction from people," he said.
"A lot of them who say they understand why I did it are genuine in what they say. There are also a lot of people who are upset at what I did and many who still find it difficult to understand."
However, he points to some of the highlights of his illustrious career as proof of his desire to perform well for both nations.
"One of my proudest moments was winning the European Championship with Scotland, and we beat England on the way to winning it. I was passionate for Scotland in every one of my 67 caps and lost only once," he added.
In 2006, Nicol called a halt to a career that had seen him top the world rankings for a total of 60 months, including a 24-month unbroken spell.
He attributes the successes in the latter part of his career to the Power Plate equipment that has become the basis of his business.
Since calling time on his squash career, the 34-year-old from Inverurie in Aberdeenshire has focused his energy on building a business. He already has one fitness studio in London, and has chosen Edinburgh as the site for his latest venture.
Nicol talks of his new fitness facility, which will open in Edinburgh's West End tomorrow, with the same passion that he displayed on squash courts around the globe.
He insists that StudioEH1 in Rutland Square, which will be run on a daily basis by his fellow squash player Helen Maclennan and former golf pro Ian Gray, offers a unique service and should not be regarded as another addition to the substantial number of gyms that already exist in the city.
"It's not a gym, it's a lifestyle experience," he said. "The atmosphere is completely different and the feeling you get is very different. There is a maximum of four people per hour and we have a greater interaction with our clients.
"For 15 years, I spent a lot of time in gyms and even although it's a year and a half since I retired, I still wouldn't go to one."
Describing how the process works, he added: "It is an accelerated workout that takes about 25 minutes. It's about holding poses, and dynamic workouts, using all the muscle groups. It makes you fell stronger, healthier and fitter. It's completely different from the localised pain you feel after doing a weights session."
Nicol attributes his success at the 2006 Commonwealth Games to using the Power Plate process.
"It was the last big thing I wanted to win," he explained. "My body was just telling me that it didn't want to do it any more but Power Plate reactivated the muscles and it made me pain free, flexible and strong. It was like an epiphany for me and it certainly saved my body."
One convert to the system is Scotland rugby coach Frank Hadden, who used Power Plate as a warm up tool for his players during last year's World Cup in France. He performed the opening last night, a ceremony that left Nicol, appropriately perhaps, with interests both north and south of the Border.
The full article contains 685 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
